New traffic pattern could put some Cornelius businesses in a jam

CORNELIUS, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) - A new traffic pattern in Cornelius could prove to be bad for business.

Some business owner say it deter customers because they will have to go out of their way to get to them.

Right now drivers at this intersection can turn right in but with the new plan they won't be able to make this turn causing customers to literally drive on by.

“You're going to have to drive beyond go through a turnabout and come back and the plan is right now as I understand it. The flow will keep you from having to sit at stop lights,” said Tammy Malone, who has attended several planning meetings.

The proposed plan for Catawba Ave. in Cornelius would replace traffic lights with two roundabouts designed to keep traffic coming off of I-77 flowing, but local businesses say they could crumble.

“If they could blow it up tomorrow and redo something we'd be really happy,” one local said.

The new traffic pattern would stop drivers from turning in any direction. Instead, they'll have to drive passed places like Cashion’s, then loop around and come back.

"It's all a pain in the rear end,” said another. "Family businesses like Cashion’s, they'll fold up and all it does is justify some engineer's job and it goes against all the common sense you've been taught all your life as far as driving goes.”

People in the areas say they're fed up with construction altogether.

"Well I think it makes it hard for the drivers to go if they need to get directly off the exit you either have to go to the left or the right they don't gives us an option,” resident Dequay Craig said.

The future of some businesses hanging in the balance dependent upon the patience some drivers possess.

"I’ll probably go to the one that's most convenient for me so I’d probably go to the one that's easy,” another resident told FOX 46.

Construction is set to begin in December of 2020. The project is partially funded with bonus allocation dollars that must be authorized by June of 2020, so the city has to pick a design and get moving.

You can make your voice heard by going to the Cornelius Town Hall for a meeting, or submitting a written comment about the roundabout plans.